Francona returns to Fenway with win

Friday

Back at Fenway Park as a manager for the first time since being let go by the Boston Red Sox in 2011, he was calm and occasionally funny while wearing the cap of the Cleveland Indians.

After all, he's back in baseball.

"Being in a dugout or clubhouse, there's no place I'm more comfortable," Francona said last night as he sat in the opposite dugout from where he spent eight seasons as Boston's manager. "Part of the reason I'm OK with this is I'm really proud of coming here with this hat on, this uniform.

"And that takes nothing away from the eight years I was here. It makes it easier for me to look back on some of the fonder memories, and now you start new ones in another place."

In his first season as their manager in 2004, the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. Three years later, they won another. And four years after that, he was let go following a September collapse that cost the Red Sox a playoff berth.

"I wish the ending would have been different," Francona said before Cleveland's 12-3 win in the opener of a four-game series.

He spent last season as an ESPN analyst then was hired after Manny Acta and Sandy Alomar Jr. lost 94 games. The Indians started and ended yesterday in first place in the AL Central, one-half game ahead of the Detroit Tigers.

TEPESCH CLEARED: Nick Tepesch had no issues with the blister on his right middle finger during a bullpen session yesterday and is scheduled to start Sunday at Seattle.

With the former Missouri Tiger cleared for Sunday's start, Yu Darvish will start Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader in Phoenix against Arizona. Tepesch, a rookie, is 3-4 with a 3.98 ERA.

ROYALS DEMOTE HERRERA: The Kansas City Royals have sent struggling reliever Kelvin Herrera to Triple-A Omaha.

The right-hander allowed eight home runs in 201/3 innings. Herrera was 2-4 with a 4.87 ERA in 19 relief appearances. He went 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in 76 relief appearances last year, giving up just four home runs in 841/3 innings as a rookie.

The Royals recalled right-hander Luis Coleman from Omaha, where he was 2-1 with a 1.04 ERA and three saves. He pitched parts of the past two seasons with Kansas City, going 1-4 with a 3.25 ERA and one save in 73 relief appearances.

DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW: A vendor at Houston's Minute Maid Park has been fired after a fan filmed him taking a tray of snow cones into a stadium bathroom and putting it on the floor of the stall while using the facilities.

The fan shared the video with KPRC-TV, which aired the report Wednesday night.

ARAMARK, which runs food services at the ballpark, call it an isolated incident and says the vendor's actions were "a clear violation of our food safety practices and are not reflective of our standards."

UTLEY TO DL: The Philadelphia Phillies have placed five-time All-Star second baseman Chase Utley on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique strain.

Utley could miss up to four weeks.

"We do believe and hope that Chase will be ready to play in Philadelphia within 15 days," General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We are being cautious with this injury as it is a tricky one and want to make sure it isn't an issue for him throughout the season."

Utley is batting .272 with seven homers and 25 RBI. Freddy Galvis has replaced him in the starting lineup.

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